GUARDAIR

SERVING EX-MEMBERS OF THE EX-REGIMENTS

Home Station, Petawawa - circa 1969. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times".

It was the best of times because of the regimental standards, traditions and sense of family that we all cherished, and it was the worst of times because of what was starting to happen all around us. The infantry was being reduced in size, integration and unification were the order of the day, green uniforms were en route to unit level, and the CF base concept would streamline operational support while producing economies of scale. If you could be made to believe in all this, then you could be made to believe in anything. Enter GUARDAIR!

Guardair was hatched in the minds of Capts W.A. Brocklehurst, Esquire and E.H. Gosden, Esquire. Why? Our Home Station Officers' Mess was about to be turned into a "Red Bargain Barn" food and drink dispensing operation. In short, the dreaded centralized Base Petawawa Officers' Mess concept was about to take over our home. Quickly realizing that traditions and mess standards would be adjusted to the lowest common denominator, we decided to retaliate in a subtle, snobby, and yet no less mocking and humorous manner. The living-in junior officers needed an alternative mess environment where we could retain all the vestiges and trappings of our regiment that was about to placed on the supplementary order of battle. It was rapidly determined that an organization outside the reach of the military establishment was needed. As well, since the pilots on the base seemed to dress and do pretty well as they pleased, we decided on an aviation theme to encourage greater rage at Base HQ.

From these humble beginnings grew such popular events as the annual Guardair dinner, the semi-annual Guardair Christmas Turkey Contest (Jun 25), and the ever popular late night Guardair Radio Quiz. Expansion saw the acquisition of such capital assets as the Guardair airplane, the stable of Guardair limousines as well as those eye-pleasing collectibles consisting of stock shares and matchbooks.

As Guardair's notoriety grew we found that those who would humorously challenge us, such as LCol J.O. Ward, B Adm O, would be set upon in an equally humorous counterattack by our people within their organization like Capt J..A.S. Haley. We soon had supporters everywhere and were being widely encouraged by our peers to take on the system. We did this through a series of tongue-in-cheek encounters through the medium of the Base Petawawa Post. Even Sgt. Fred Watson, the Base radio announcer, was giving us honorable mention on the air and in his weekly Base Post column. Attendance at the dinners grew until we had junior officers representing all the different units of the Brigade including the medical depots, Base HQ and Base Animal Control. Even Major A.H.C. Smith took us on in an attempt to curry favor with the Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General S.V. Radley Walters. Little did he know that General "Rad" was on our side as was our Commanding Officer of the day, Lieutenant-Colonel G.R. Cheriton.

By 1975 the reputation of Guardair was still growing thanks mainly to its lavish dinners and overt snob appeal. To be a member of Guardair was to have arrived on the scene, to be made, to be on the inside. Most new members were not sure exactly what they had joined, but nonetheless were quite proud to have been accepted over their peers. From a morale perspective it was the best of times in the worst of times and our military leaders knew it only too well. That is why to this day we believe that they never shut us down. Guardair was a link and a bond of comradeship in some very challenging times.

To its credit Guardair was not an officer only enterprise. Whether we were scheming with or against some of our favorite NCOs, all were involved. Thanks to Percy Price and his Guardair limo that acted as driver and hearse to transport the remains of Ambrose between messes for re-internment following the takeover of the Home Station Officers' Mess. Thanks to regimental tailor Marcel Perrault and the many nameless NCOs in workshops across Base Petawawa who tailored, welded, repaired and cleaned up after Guardair. While less positive perhaps, but no less fun, we took great pleasure in annoying MWO Ken Woods almost as much as Major Ian Douglas enjoyed annoying Capt Fred Marentette. Ken Woods was really put off when we declared him a hostile competitor in the semi-annual turkey contest. Despite being drawn as the winner, it seems he was so upset with the late night Radio Quiz calls that he could not describe his feelings for Guardair in less than 25 words. He didn't even qualify for a bag of used groceries and the matter is still on appeal in the office of the President, W.A. Brocklehurst after all these years.

Guardair's crowning achievement was the migration of the annual dinner to the Army Command and Staff College in Fort Frontenac, Kingston in the spring of 1975. There with the stalwart support of one master chef of earlier Guardair fame, Sgt Brandon, we managed to replicate the original stock holders dinner held in Petawawa six years earlier. In the words of the then Commandant, Brigadier-General P.V.B. Grieve, "Several people spoke to me during the evening about how much it reminded them of the better regimental mess parties all of us recall with such enjoyment and pride. No doubt that is why General Rad was such a staunch supporter of the aims of your annual get together". Commentary and support from two senior officers who both served with distinction in combat and who could see the value of the morale and bonds being fostered by the Guardair experience.

"Where have all the tigers gone?" Perhaps not too far since as long as the spirit lives, Guardair lives.

Further important information on GUARDAIR

Thanks to Ed Gosden
Toronto, Ontario
25 August, 1997

Link to BGen Ed Gosden's Biography
Link to BGen Gosden's photos